Pin Chanjula, Wanwisa Ngampongsai, and Metha Wanapat

pp. 37 - 48

Abstract

The study was conducted to assess effect of levels of urea and cassava chip (CC) on feed intake, rumen ecology, blood metabolites and microbial populations. Four, Thai Native X Anglo Nubian crossbred growing male goats with an average liveweight 19.0±1 kg were randomly assigned according to a 4x4 Latin square design to receive one of four diets: T₁=urea at 0 % (CC=30%), T₂
=urea at 1% (CC=40%), T₃=urea at 2% (CC= 50%) and T₄=urea at 3%(CC=60%), of DM basis, respectively. Elephant grass (Pennisetum purpureum)
was offered on an ad lib basis. The results revealed that total DM intake (%BW and g/kg W^0.75) and BW change were similar among treatments (p>0.05). Likewise, rumen pH, BUN, blood glucose, PCV and microbial populations were similar among treatments (p>0.05), while NH₃-N increased as the urea level increased and were found highest (p<0.05) in T₄ at 12.8 mg/dL. Based on this experiment, it can be concluded that a higher level of urea (3%) could be used with a high level of CC in concentrate and it was good approach in exploiting
the use of local feed resources for goat production.